Lifestyle / Work

17 Vintage Photos of Men on Top of Skyscrapers Without Safety Nets

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Two construction workers high above a city; one sits on a beam overlooking water, while the other walks on a steel beam with buildings and streets far below. Both are wearing safety gear.

Tracing back to the earliest days of skyscraper construction, fearless iron and steelworkers would risk their lives on a daily basis, to help build those larger-than-life towers. The balance and finesse required to accomplish such feats can boggle the mind. We’ll take a look at some impressive vintage photos capturing the men that would balance and work away on top of skyscrapers without any safety nets.

1. Eating lunch atop a beam back in 1925.

Four construction workers are sitting on a steel beam high above the city, taking a break. One is smoking, another has a beverage, and the third appears to provide food to the others. The cityscape is visible in the background below.
u/ordinarybrilliant17/via reddit

The grace under pressure with that passing of the lunch items. Wow.

2. Working on a beam high above the building at Wall Street.

Two workers on a beam during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. One stands, the other kneels, both wearing safety gear. The bridge towers are visible in the background over the bay with hills in the distance.
u/eaglemaxie/via reddit

This is a truly magical shot here. Words can’t really do it justice.

3. Construction of the Columbia Tower, Seattle, 1984.

A construction worker stands confidently on top of a tall steel beam high above a cityscape, with skyscrapers and roads visible below. He wears a hard hat, gloves, and casual work attire. The image captures his elevated position and vast view.
u/anonymous/via reddit

Don’t look down. Just don’t do it.

4. Working on the Empire State Building in 1930.

Worker in safety gear constructs a skyscraper on a steel beam high above a city skyline, with iconic Art Deco buildings visible in the background under a cloudy sky.
u/taradrawstewart/via reddit

Seems like a nice enough day to have a full view of the city.

5. My cousin building Boston in the 70s.

A construction worker wearing a red hard hat and brown work clothes sits on a beam high above the ground. Behind him are tall buildings and a body of water, suggesting a cityscape. The sky is clear and the scene is sunny.
u/deleted/via reddit

Buddy is taking a moment to reflect.

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6. Steelworker hanging out during the construction of the Empire State Building in 1930.

A black and white photo shows a construction worker sitting on a steel beam high above a city skyline. He is wearing a flat cap, boots, and overalls, with tall buildings visible below and a foggy sky in the background.
u/ricroistair/via reddit

You would not want to find yourself in a moment of accidental slipping.

7. A cable worker during the construction of the Empire State Building in New York City.

A construction worker in overalls stands on a steel beam high above a cityscape. He holds a long cable while balancing on the beam, with a vast urban landscape and river visible in the background. The sky is partially cloudy.
u/katscourier/via reddit

One of the more aesthetically impressive shots of a guy working on top of a skyscraper that we’ve ever seen.

8. Empire State Building construction in the 1930s.

Workers on a steel beam high above a city, overlooking skyscrapers. They are engaged in construction tasks, with one holding a lunch box. The scene captures an early 20th-century construction site, highlighting the era's architecture and urban development.
u/brolbo/via reddit

This team looks like they have all the healthy chemistry and flow.

9. Steel worker Carl Russell sits at 1,222 feet (400 meters) on top of a steel beam casually waving to the cameraman.

Worker balancing on a steel beam high above New York City during a skyscraper construction in the early 20th century. The bustling cityscape and iconic buildings are visible below, showcasing the vast urban landscape.
u/freefight/via reddit

Carl is clearly having more fun than the rest of us.

10. Working on the scaffolding of the restoration project of the Statue of Liberty in 1984.

Workers on scaffolding near the head and torch of the Statue of Liberty, with water visible in the background.
u/antman1984/via reddit

What a throwback.

11. A New York iron worker walks along a girder high above the city streets in 1950.

A construction worker, wearing safety gear, walks on a narrow steel beam high above a cityscape. Skyscrapers and streets with cars are visible below. The black and white photo captures a sense of danger and urban development.
u/brolbo/via reddit

Definitely one of those moments where you want to make sure to watch each of your steps.

12. Dad building the Cleveland skyline in 1983.

A construction worker in a sleeveless shirt and safety gear stands on a high ledge, with a panoramic cityscape in the background. A tall, ornate building with a spire is prominently visible beside him.
u/lucylace/via reddit

The stache really ties everything together in the best way possible.

13. Workers on top of the newly constructed World Trade Center in 1973.

Two construction workers in helmets standing on a suspended platform high above a city, with one waving. A tall skyscraper is visible below them, and hazy buildings and cityscape stretch into the distance under a clear sky.
u/puzzledot4345/via reddit

This is just a plain old fun shot.

14. Taking a break and play harmonicas while building the Rockefeller Center Building in New York City in 1932.

Workers sitting on a steel beam high above a city skyline, eating lunch and smoking. Buildings and cloudy sky are visible in the background, showcasing a construction scene with no safety harnesses.
u/justsoinsane/via reddit

You’ve got to wonder what the acoustics are like when one plays the harmonica from so far up.

15. Resting during the construction of the Empire State Building in 1930.

Two construction workers balance on steel beams high above a city, with buildings visible far below. They wear flat caps and heavy coats. Large cables are in the foreground, highlighting the height and precariousness of their position.
u/eyesalwaysopeneed/via reddit

Not a bad place at all to take a rest.

16. Touching the tip of the Chrysler Building in 1931.

A construction worker in overalls balances on a steel beam high above a city skyline. The Chrysler Building is visible in the foggy background. The worker is holding onto a cable with one hand and pointing down with the other.
u/eaglemaxie/via reddit

Talk about a next-level optical illusion. My goodness.

17. Empire State Building construction, 1931.

A construction worker in overalls rides on a large hook attached to a crane's cable, high above a city skyline with skyscrapers, including the Chrysler Building, in the background. The scene is black and white, conveying a historical setting.
u/deleted/via reddit

This guy’s giving out a fully fearless kind of energy.

In the mood for more?

You can check out 20 Vintage Images of Railroad Workers from the Past (1890s-1970s), 20 Colorized Images Of Steelworkers and Miners in the Early 1900s or 15 Rules 1930s Factories Made Workers Obey.

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Meet the Writer


Matt Staff

Matt has spent over the last 8 years as both a writer and editor, working in Seattle and Brooklyn, where he is now based. He loves escaping the tirelessly fast pace of the “Mad Apple” that is NYC by taking walks and runs through parks where he’s able to catch up on the latest tea about society from the city’s ever chatty, always hungry, occasionally maniacal, pigeons. They always have a lot to say. When he’s not taking his urban nature strolls, or dutifully combing the deepest rabbit holes of the internet to find the content that’s worth sinking your mind’s teeth into, he’s likely holed up at a dark-lit dive bar with a new book and/or some friends, or just as easily he could be on the hunt for the next addition to his steadily growing plant family.

These days Matt’s caught up in trying to provide folks as many vivid glimpses into the days long since passed as he can, through fun and engaging collections of hand-picked vintage photos.



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